


An Off Day

by Books in the Blood (WholockHobbit88)



Category: Buzzfeed: Worth It (Web Series)
Genre: Age Regression, Caretaking, Cuddling, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Non-Sexual Age Play, Sick Character, caretaker!Andrew, little!Steven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 16:08:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21018542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WholockHobbit88/pseuds/Books%20in%20the%20Blood
Summary: Steven is sick and feeling little; Andrew is a good caretaker.





	An Off Day

Steven was having an off day; that was the best way of saying and describing it. Steven was so naturally happy and upbeat that any time he was not this way it was obvious. He'd done his best, no doubt, and Andrew was sure that the audience wouldn't notice like he had noticed it. Steven had a way of burying his true feelings and displaying an outward appearance of what he thought everyone wanted to see; he was a very good people pleaser. There wasn't anything necessarily WRONG with that except it made it very hard to take care of him. One had to read in between the lines and since Steven was so good at hiding his discomfort this took a bit of learning to really do; Andrew was learning though. He was determined to be a good caregiver even if easy going Steven didn't make it that easy.

It just wasn't Steven's day…..Andrew could tell he wasn't feeling well for one thing. Steven's nose was whistling like a tea pot and he kept grabbing for tissues in between takes; every time he blew his nose he seemed to grow paler. It didn't help that this day had coincided with an episode Andrew was thrilled with but Steven wasn't particularly excited about; beets. While Andrew loved every dish they ate and though Steven looked adorable with beet juice dripping from his lips it didn't change the fact that he seemed miserable. Andrew knew Steven was sick and tired and the last thing he wanted to do was eat beets, even three money signs beets.

Steven did his best but it seemed he exerted all of his energy on appearing normal during the shoot; the second they were done and in the car to their hotel he seemed to collapse on himself. He crumpled in his seat, leaned against the window, cradling the camera to himself which sent the very clear message he did NOT want to film anymore.

They all piled out of the car when it arrived at their hotel and Andrew was watching Steven carefully. Steven stepped out of the car, pulling his coat close to himself as he hit the cold air; Andrew felt the moment freeze in time as he watched Steven's breath puff out , his eyes downturned and avoiding everyone…Andrew felt everything freeze inside him as his mind slowed and everything became very surreal. Steven looked utterly pitiful; his red face, his dripping nose, his countenance that was barely holding it together….Andrew knew that not only did Steven feel bad he was barely holding onto the last vestiges of his adulthood. Andrew felt his heart strings pull as realized what Steven needed.

They walked up to their hotel room in silence. Steven looked pale and on the verge of tears as he pulled his suit case; it caught on the lip of the elevator and seemed to nearly elicit a tantrum from Steven who huffed and puffed over it, red faced and distressed before Andrew took the handle from him and gratefully pulled it over the threshold and the rest of the way. As much as Andrew wanted to see a Steven tantrum (he was so far ridiculously well behaved) this wasn't the time for exploring the excitement of misbehavior and punishment. Steven had other needs right now.

Andrew pulled the suitcases the rest of the way as Steven followed him in a pitiful dirge, dragging his feet and sniffling all of the way. Now that no one else was present and putting a camera to his face, Steven's face was pinched and pitiful. Andrew could tell he wanted to cry but he at least wanted to hold on a little bit.

Andrew unlocked the room door with the electronic key, pushing the door open and awkwardly ushering the bags in before moving aside so Steven could get in. The room was quiet and too cold Andrew could already tell for Steven. While their normal post episode room exploration would have included excitedly running around checking the amenities and mini bar, Steven simply walked over to the bed (without meticulously checking the sheets for quality and lack of bed bugs which was frankly terrifying to Andrew) and plopped heavily down.

Of course he wasn't going to cry, complain or grumble at all….he simply hung his head and put his head in his hands. He was going to make Andrew say something or address it because he wasn't…Strong Steven…never admitting he needed help but secretly wanting to be cared for in every way possible. Of course, it was only Andrew that knew that…

It had been a few months since Andrew had accidently found out Steven was into age regression. And gradually, tentatively, wonderfully he had slowly become Steven's caregiver. That wasn't to say that everything changed; their work lives and their show had stayed the same. They even stayed the same in their friendships and public lives. Of course, when they were alone…that was a different matter. It wasn't an automatic thing like some would believe; it had happened gradually. Steven was VERY shy and Andrew was almost shyer. But eventually they had worked it out; Andrew fed Steven bottles, rocked him, tucked him in, watched cartoons with him…but beyond even that he had learned to understand the unspoken cues of Steven's personality. When he was hungry, when he was tired, when he was sad, when he needed cuddles…it was learning that Andrew was all too eager to take on.

Andrew dropped the suitcases and sat on the edge of the bed next to Steven. He could almost feel his energy as cheesy and clique as that sounded; he could feel tension and sadness and stress…Andrew put his hand on Steven's shoulder and could feel him crumple underneath him.

"Steven…..come here…" Andrew's voice shook a bit as he said the words because taking care of Steven was still new and he was still nervous and excited about it. He was still slightly unsure of his role in this and Steven's willingness. There was some part of him that still expected Steven to pull away and Andrew had never done well with rejection….

Of course, he didn't get rejection in that moment….as soon as he had said those words, Steven was turning toward him, throwing arms around him and crushing him in an embrace. Steven's head found the crook between his shoulder and his neck and made its home there, his arms crushed his back and chest and his face buried itself deep in his coat. As Andrew tightened his grip on Steven he could feel the shaking, shuddering against him that told him Steven was finally letting go and crying. Andrew got a bit lost in it for a moment, in the sensation of Steven's warmth and body against him, the rightness of the pressure against him, and the overwhelming need of knowing Steven was upset and he could help him. Andrew simply held Steven against him, pulling him close as much as he could until he could feel his t-shirt begin to get soaked with hot tears. He knew Steven needed to cry and he knew it wasn't even about sadness; he let it happen for as long he thought he needed before he said, "Steven, talk to me…..I know you're not feeling great. It's okay….."

That last bit was key because Andrew knew that Steven didn't like to 'be a bother' or cause trouble'. He needed to really feel that it was 'okay' to not be 'okay'. Andrew was always doing his best to help Steven feel that no matter what he felt it was 'okay'. At this moment he especially hoped Steven knew it was okay to feel sick because that was where he was at right now. His body WAS sick so it was okay to FEEL sick and bad and sad…

"I'm…..I'm….."Steven sputtered against Andrew's shirt. Andrew could tell his shirt was wet from not only tears but spit. He could feel Steven breathing against him. It was okay; he took plenty of vitamins. He wasn't afraid of some germs. What he WAS afraid of was Steven saying he was OKAY when he clearly wasn't.

"You're not okay…tell me what you're feeling" Andrew said as he rubbed Steven's back soothingly and felt the wet patch grow bigger. At first it had felt so strange to tell Steven 'tell me what you're feeling' because that was totally foreign to him. He didn't think he'd ever been asked that when he was kid. But now times were different and he'd learned a lot about emotions from websites aimed at taking care of kids. Mainly that kids should express their emotions and not hide them….what a surprise to him, honestly….

He knew Steven was gearing up to say he was okay and he wasn't. Finally, Steven pulled back from Andrew and looked up at him with a wide-eyed desperate look. "I feel…..I feel…"Steven began to stutter, his face a mess of snot and tears.

Andrew was waiting for some emotional confession but that's not what he got. Afterwards he wouldn't know if it intuition, that look of desperation or the beads of sweat popping up profusely along Steven's forehead. Whatever it was, Andrew was thankful; Andrew had grabbed a trash can with lightning speed and thrust it between them one second before Steven was vomiting profusely into it. Andrew wasn't surprised in the least; Steven had looked green all day.

When Steven's stomach finally stalled, he looked up at Andrew, his face red and flushed. "I can't believe I just THREW UP on you"! he said in a mortified voice.

Andrew had to stifle a laugh; it was interesting that he should be so concerned. He was comfortable with Andrew feeding him a bottle and seeing in him in footed pajamas but a little puke was supposed to scare him away? Admittedly, he was glad Steven was being dramatic and that he hadn't actually puked ON him.

Andrew carefully placed the can on the ground away from them and smiled at Steven who was clearly about to go into stress out mode. "Hey, I knew you didn't like beets but I think this is a bit extreme" Andrew teased. He couldn't help it.

Steven wasn't in a joking mood; he began to pout slightly in a way that made Andrew feel like his insides were getting all mushy. He doubted Steven knew he was having this effect on him and he sure wasn't going to admit it. "I didn't do it on PURPOSE!" Steven said dramatically, his lower lip jutting out, his face growing redder in embarrassment.

Andrew reached out and took Steven's hands in his own; they were hot and clammy at the same time, predicting a fever. "I'm kidding Steven. It's not a big deal. Let's just get you comfortable and settled into bed. I think someone deserves some cuddles" he said, giving Steven's hands a gentle squeeze.

Steven looked so tired that he was about ready to pass out. "Yeah….yeah that'd be nice" he agreed. When Andrew took his hand, Steven put up no fight as he led him to the bathroom.

Andrew led him over to the tub and had him sit on the edge as he prepared a wet washcloth. Luckily, Andrew's intuition had kept there from being huge puke mess but Steven's face was still hot and flushed from his crying. Andrew tested the water to make sure that it was perfectly warm before putting the rag under it for a moment. Steven looked so pitiful sitting forlornly on the edge of the tub, his face flushed, slumped over tiredly.

"Close your eyes" Andrew said softly before running the wet cloth across Steven's eyes and cheeks, saving his snotty nose for last.

"See, isn't that better?" Andrew asked cheerily as he tossed the rag away.

Steven's face was clean but still flushed. At Andrew's cheeriness it crumpled. "I'm tired!" he wailed, crossing his arms over his chest. The pout was REAL…Andrew wanted to tell him if he stuck out his lip any further it'd fall off which was what his parents used to say to him when he was a kid but he knew Steven wasn't in a joking mood so he didn't. And while Andrew wasn't happy Steven was feeling bad, he'd never yet seen him this vulnerable and little and he was just too adorable to be allowed.

"I know…..we'll get you into bed. Your tummy doesn't feel bad anymore does it?" Andrew asked, wanting to make sure he wasn't going to hurl all over the snow white bedding. Plus, any time you said 'tummy' that automatically meant you had to rub Steven's stomach.

Steven didn't smile but Andrew could see his ears turn slightly red in shyness. "Well…not bad enough to throw up but probably bad enough that I need a tummy rub" Steven said, leaning into Andrew's rubbing hand.

Andrew couldn't help but smile at Steven's slyness. "Oh well, I guess we should put some pjs on and get into bed so I can do something about that aching tummy" Andrew said, "Did you bring something comfy to wear?"

"Grown up pajamas" Steven said, looking regretful. No doubt he was wishing he'd brought some of his soft, cushy footies.

"Well, we'll just have to make up for them with extra blankets" Andrew said, "You stay here and I'll go get your jammies"

Andrew walked back into the bedroom and walked over to Steven's suitcase. He felt a bit strange going through Steven's things but he hadn't told him not to and he was trying to help him. He quickly went through Steven's perfectly folded luggage, hoping to not find any underwear in the process. He nearly burst into laughter at what he DID find. Folded unsuspecting inside Steven's pajamas was a diaper and a pacifier. It wouldn't have been a stunning find except for the fact that Steven once told Andrew that he didn't wear diapers when he was away from home. Andrew had been teasing him, trying to convince him that he should wear one on a shoot (who would know except for them?) and Steven swore he never wore them except at home. He'd caught Steven in a little fib.

Andrew walked to the bathroom where Steven was still pitifully sitting at the edge of the tub, looking flushed and tired. "Hey…..whatever happened to 'I don't wear diapers except at home'?" Andrew teased as he handed Steven the pajamas…..and the diaper.

Steven's face flushed red and he quickly tucked the diaper under the pants as if Andrew hadn't seen it. Of course the image of the plastic white diaper and what Steven might look like wearing it had been burned into Andrew's brain. "Well…..I….um…I mean I wouldn't…..not on a shoot…..it's different…..just in the hotel" Steven stuttered, looking more and more embarrassed by the moment. Andrew loved it; if Steven weren't so sick he'd have given him a hard time.

"Well the hotel isn't home is it so that's a lie and a lie is a sin. Shame on you Steven…I ought to punish you but I won't because you're sick" Andrew teased.

Andrew wasn't exactly sure where that had come from and at first he felt that fearful little jolt in his stomach that told him he shouldn't have said anything, that maybe that was TOO far. Things had been very tentative, slow and cautious with Steven; more caretaking than actually any role play. Though that wasn't to say that Andrew hadn't looked into it a bit…..or maybe more than a bit. That wasn't to say that he hadn't given thought to how cute goody-two-shoes Steven would look if Andrew had to 'punish' him for something. But that did push things a bit…one of which was HOW Andrew would punish him. He couldn't imagine spanking Steven; he got embarrassed just thinking that.

So at first he thought maybe he shouldn't have said anything but when he saw Steven's face he felt that nervous little knot in his stomach loosen. Because Steven didn't look horrified or disgusted. He was still obviously embarrassed but Andrew saw his lips twitch slightly as if he were holding in a grin. Hmmm….interesting…..Andrew felt his palms and every other over active sweat gland on his body begin to gush as he realized that was something they'd have to pursue when Steven was feeling better.

"You're off the hook for now, you stinker" Andrew said, hoping Steven didn't notice him sweating profusely in the cold room. "I'm going to get you some cold medicine at the pharmacy on the corner of this street and you get changed and get your butt in bed. And I better see that diaper on you too"

Now Andrew really DID want to die; that nervous knot was back with a vengeance and his sweat no doubt visible. Why the HELL did he say that? What he'd meant simply was that Steven shouldn't be worried about what he had said and that he should wear the diaper and be comfortable anyway. But it'd come out commanding and creepy as if he were demanding to see Steven actually WEARING it when he'd been so firm in telling Steven that he didn't have to wear them around Andrew if he didn't feel comfortable. Seeing Steven in a diaper and no pants was akin to seeing him in his underwear and he didn't want Steven to think he was THAT kind of guy, the kind of guy that would demand to see him in his underwear.

Steven blushed; he didn't exactly look displeased. Still, Andrew rushed to rectify it. "Uh…..what I MEANT was…wear the diaper if you want to. Don't let my teasing stop you. And I'll….uh…..be right back" he said nervously, throwing on his jacket to cover up his massive sweat stains. Great job not being awkward…

Andrew pushed out into the cold air, feeling the flakes of snow hit his face and begin to cool him down from the awkwardness that was his lack of social skills. Still, he was glad when he got away from the elements in the pharmacy and made his way to the medicine isle. He picked up a few different types of cold medicine and a stomach remedy just in case before walking over to where the food stuff was, grabbing a bottle of juice so he could make sure that Steven kept hydrated.

As Andrew walked through the store toward the register he found himself in an aisle that automatically caught his attention and made him stop in his steps. He was surrounded dozens of pastel colored bottles, blankets, pacifiers and baby toys not to mention diapers that looked like the one he'd just found in Steven's suitcase but much smaller. Andrew wasn't sure he'd ever walked through a baby aisle; if he had he hadn't paid attention to it. But now every item made him think of Steven. What would that pacifier look like in Steven's mouth? Would Steven play with that toy or was it too babyish? What would it be like to feed Steven that baby food? He couldn't help but daydream even though he tried to keep from going too far into dreamland so that he didn't have any other embarrassing verbal slip like earlier. But there was one item Andrew knew he HAD to buy.

Hanging at the end of the aisle was a rainbow stuffed sheep. It was perfect…..Steven absolutely loved sheep and the bright colors were perfect for his bubbly personality. It's happy, smiling face somehow made it looked lonely and sad…..it needed a friend. And what better friend than Steven? Andrew picked it up and he already was feeling a bit warmer and happier; Steven was going to love it.

Andrew grabbed a sippy cup for the juice before heading out of the aisle and toward the register. He felt a little self-conscious about being an adult and buying a stuffed toy. His overactive mind made him worry they'd comment on his purchase even though logically he knew that any sane person would think he was buying it for a biological child and not his friend that he shared a strange secret with. Part of him liked the feeling of having an unorthodox little secret no one knew about; nobody but him and Steven.

Ultimately it didn't matter because the cashier was a bored looking teenager who barely glanced at his items before telling him the price and taking his card. Andrew took his bag and hastily made his way out of the store and back to the hotel, eager to see Steven's face when he gave him his new toy.

When Andrew made it back to the room he found Steven already changed and underneath the covers of the bed. He was sucking lazily on his pacifier, his eyes droopy as he watched the cartoon on TV. Andrew felt a little blown away by how cute it was, the little blue button of his pacifier sticking up barely over the covers tucked up to Steven's chin. His face was flushed red, a dramatic contrast to the sea of white linens inclosing him. A whole world of things 'cute' had opened up to him when he'd found out Steven's secret.

Andrew kicked off his shoes and slid onto the bed next to Steven, placing the bag on the bed. He moved as close as he could beside Steven without actually touching him; it was always a little anxiety inducing to make that first touch.

"You've got your pajamas on, all comfy now?" Andrew asked as Steven's eyes fluttered sleepily. He was surprised Steven hadn't already fallen asleep; he was sure to after the cough medicine got into his system.

He looked so laidback and tired that it was a total surprise when he pulled back the covers to reveal he was wearing a pajama top, diaper….and no pants. Andrew could see Steven grinning slyly around his pacifier but he couldn't stop staring. Like, creepy, weirdo level of staring. He couldn't help it…it was just too ADORABLE. And Steven fully knew it; he lay back against the bed, grinning so wide that his pacifier almost fell out and his cheeks flushed shyly. Andrew hadn't expected Steven to show him his diaper after his stupid lingual slip but now he was kind of glad that he had slipped. It was SO CUTE…..Steven looked completely like an overgrown toddler. And even more than the fact that it was completely adorable it showed Andrew that Steven trusted him completely. He couldn't even imagine the trust that it would take to let someone see him that vulnerable. It made him so happy that his chest felt like it was about to burst.

Andrew stretched out on the bed next to Steven, one arm propping up his head so that he could take in the cuteness that was Steven and the other one resting comfortably on Steven's stomach.

"Hmmm…..looks like someone is extra comfortable" Andrew said, patting Steven's stomach. "And extra cute"

It felt a bit weird to Andrew, calling Steven cute. Not because he wasn't, he definitely was. Just because it was one of those things that he didn't think he'd ever think much less say. He wasn't used to voicing something like that. But he wanted Steven to know how cute he thought he was and that he appreciated him letting him see more of littleness. And of course he hoped that if he knew that then he would let him see it more.

Once he said it, he knew it was the right thing. Steven grinned and his eyes lit up. "I am?!" he asked so loud that his voice cracked, making him give in to a wave of coughing again.

"Of course you are" Andrew said, "But…..I am worried about you getting cold. So I think we better make sure you are plenty warm enough."

As much as he really didn't want to, Andrew pulled the covers up so Steven could be warm, tucking them tightly around his sides. "We've got to make sure that you get plenty of rest. But before that, you've got to take your medicine" Andrew said, taking the cough syrup out of the bag.

Steven groaned, looking tired and drawn again. "Medicine? I don't want to take medicine….."he whined.

"I know you don't but you have to. It'll make you feel better and you'll be able to sleep" Andrew said. Steven looked like he wanted to argue but he seemed too tired, slumping against the pillows with a frown.

Andrew took the sippy cup out of the package and filled it with juice before pouring out the medicine.

"I know you don't want this but just swallow it real fast and then drink plenty of juice to wash it down. It won't last very long" Andrew coaxed, handing Steven the juice cup as he brought the cup of medicine to his lips.

He tipped it back into Steven's mouth, his face instantly frowning with disgust. But he swallowed it quickly like Andrew told him too and instantly began to drink the juice as fast as the sippy cup would allow him to. Once he'd drunk most of it, he handed it back to Andrew, looking slightly pale. "No more…..no more" he said quietly, looking nauseous after taking in the liquid. His face was a far cry from the picture of satisfaction he'd had a few moments ago at Andrew's praise. Luckily, he had something to fix that.

As Steven collapsed against the pillow looking faint, Andrew grabbed the bag with the sheep in it. "Hey…..I've got something that might help you feel a little better. It's definitely better than medicine." He said as he pulled out the rainbow plushy.

Steven's sleepy eyes popped up and he perked up almost immediately as he saw the stuffed animal. Andrew was definitely rewarded with the reaction that he had hoped for; Steven's eyes lit up, a smile broke out across his pale face and he squeezed the sheep to him.

"Andrew! I love it! It's so cute and so soft! Thank you!" Steven enthused, squeezing the toy as if it was the best thing he'd ever had.

Andrew felt his face foolishly heat up from the extreme praise but he was pleased. "You're welcome. I'm glad you like it" he said simply.

A moment later Andrew himself was being squeezed as tightly to Steven as the plushy was. "I'm so glad I have you here right now" Steven whispered in Andrew's ear, his arms wrapped tightly around his neck. Steven's breath was hot against his ear but Andrew still felt shivery at the words. Steven's words were so genuine, so open and trusting, his touch so hard and close as if he were desperate. The depth of Steven's trust in him scared Andrew a little bit; he was a bit of a fuck up after all so who was to say he wouldn't screw this up? But mostly Andrew just felt warm and happy and satisfied. He hugged Steven tightly, resting his head against Steven's shoulder; it didn't feel like he was in a hotel room hundreds of miles from home, in during a blizzard taking care of a sick Steven. It just felt like he was home right now.

"Me too, Steven" he said quietly


End file.
